Eight and a Half
About
Studio Size
Medium (6-20)
Year founded
2012
Borough
Brooklyn
Studio Bio/Philosophy
Eight and a Half is a multi-disciplinary design studio—but we do more than just design. We make things make sense strategically, visually and editorially with intelligence and a sense of humor. Eight and a Half partners with clients in all media and on all kinds of projects.
The Team
Eight and a Half has 7 people. Of those, 1 is a studio head and 1 is managerial.
24% of studios are medium-sized (6-20 people).
Gender Breakdown
43% male
57% female
Average height
5’7”-5’9”
Shortest: 5’0”
Tallest: 6’1”
Average age
30-35
Youngest: 23
Oldest: 50
Number of freelancers/year
1-5
1-5 are long-term freelancers
Number of interns/year
3-4
Average: 1-2
Studio Disciplines
Breakdown of Work
Number of studio projects
26–50
Pro-bono projects
1–5
Strategy/Execution
50% Strategy
50% Execution
Primary Specialties
- Books (52)
- Branding & Identity (77)
- Broadcast Graphics (18)
- Editorial/Publication Design (51)
- Motion (29)
- Packaging (45)
- Print (75)
- Web Design (59)
Outside the scope of the studio
- Environmental Design (4)
- Illustration (18)
- Sound Design (49)
- Typeface Design (20)
- Web Development (43)
Clients’ Industries
- Finance & Investment (26)
- Local & community organizations (41)
- Media & Publishing (58)
- Movies/Film (19)
- Real Estate (24)
- Restaurants & Food (29)
- The Arts/Cultural Institutions (71)
- TV (17)
Eight and a Half’s Clients
- Alien Vault
- Black Dog & Leventhal
- BRIC
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Criterion Collection
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
- HBO (2)
- Jean-Georges
- Lowenstein Sandler
- Maimonides Medical Center
- Nickelodeon (3)
- Random House
- Spark Capital
- Vinfolio
- Warner Brothers Television
Bonnie Siegler, Founder
Demographics
Female, from Huntington Station, NY, now lives in Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY. Formal education is undergraduate degree, primary design education is school (Carnegie Mellon University).
What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?
There are so many! Paul Rand, Alexander Lieberman, Cipe Pineles, Ruth Ansel, Alexander Girard, Mel Brooks, Andy Warhol, Mad Magazine, Saul Bass, Leo Lionni, William Golden, Preston Sturges, Bradbury Thompson, Woody Allen, Chuck Jones, Lite Brite, MTV
Years in Design Industry
28 years
Average: 17 years
Previous Design Employment
- Number 17 (3)
- Viacom (Nick, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, TVLand) (2)
- Marcus Ratliff Design
Teaching Design
- Yale University — 8 years
- School of Visual Arts — 10 years
Board Member on Professional Design Organizations
- AIGA — 5 years
Time spent designing
30% actual
70% desired
Location
The Space
The studio is about 1000 square feet. It’s rented and they’ve been there for 1 year, 6 months.
Number of times moved
0
Total people in space
7
Amenities
- Cleaning service (44)
- Coffee maker (53)
- Elevator (54)
- Espresso machine (23)
- Free drinks (27)
- Free snacks (27)
- Freezer (43)
- Library/book collection (67)
- Pin-up board (43)
- Ping pong table (6)
- Waiting area / reception (26)
Number of conference rooms
1
Client meetings held in studio: Less than half
Number of plants
1-5
Type of chair
Knoll
Decorations
Books and bookshelves, Massive murals, Our friends' artwork, Our work, Photos, Process materials for ongoing projects, Vintage toys and knicknacks, posters
Desk Policy
To each their own: some keep their desks tidy, while others like it messier.
Space Satisfaction
We love it, it’s perfect
Working Days
Working week
The work week is 40-49 hours/week, core hours are 9:30-6:30, with the first in at 9:30am and the last out at 7:30pm.
50% of studios work 40-49 hours/week.
The average is 40-49 hours/week.
Work Weekends?
Once a month
Take Summer Fridays?
Every once in a while
Busiest Time of day?
It’s high intensity all day
Favorite Typefaces:
- Akzidenz-Grotesk (13)
- Archer (2)
- Benton Gothic
- Brandon Grotesque (5)
- DIN (13)
- Eames Century Modern
- Gotham (17)
- Mrs Eaves (4)
- Neutraface 2 (2)
- Titling (2)
- Trade Gothic (14)
Culture
Music
Plays music for 90% of the day at an average volume. Currently obsessed with Gatsby soundtrack, and most played over the last year is Paul Simon, Daft Punk, Jack White, Pippin Soundtrack, American Royalty, Mumford & Sons.
Biking to work
1
127 bikers across all studios
Pick your poison
Beer
Overall Noise Level
Average
59% of studios are average
Working groups
Encourage freelance work?
Indifferent
Internal studio meetings
A couple times/week
Lunch Habits
Everyone eats together
Favorite delivery/take-out: Miso, Almar, Grimaldi's, Tutt Cafe, Foragers